


False Hope

by The_Clock_Strikes_Twilight



Series: Celestial Songs [12]
Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: AkuSai Month 2020 (Kingdom Hearts), Celestial Songs, Destiny Islands (Kingdom Hearts), Fluff, Hollow Bastion | Radiant Garden, Inner Dialogue, LeaIsa Month 2020 (Kingdom Hearts), Love, M/M, Mention of Ienzo, Mention of Roxas, Musical Prompt Playlist, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, Short & Sweet, Songfic, Songs of the Sun and Moon, Twilight Town (Kingdom Hearts), Unspoken Confessions, mention of xion, post kh3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:22:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25656604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Clock_Strikes_Twilight/pseuds/The_Clock_Strikes_Twilight
Summary: Watching the sunset at the clock tower will never get old. Every once in a while, though, Lea needs a different view. And at those times, he turns to Destiny Islands. To the beach. He sits at the end of the dock, his feet bared and skimming the cool ocean water. He leans back on his hands, head tilted up. He’s not even paying attention to the sunset. He can’t. He’s too busy thinking about Isa. Wishing he could be with him. Or that Isa could be here instead.Since the end of the war and Isa’s return, their friendship picked up and took off like the events of the Organisation had never happened. It’s not like they ignore those ten years, though. They talk about what they went through often enough, but they haven’t left it affect them. Well, not in a bad way, at least, because it has affected Lea. In a way he never imagined.
Relationships: Isa & Lea (Kingdom Hearts), Isa/Lea (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: Celestial Songs [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1820650
Kudos: 13





	False Hope

**Author's Note:**

> Song Used: "What You're Thinking" by Passenger feat. Josh Pyke
> 
> August 1st, Day 26 of LeaIsa/AkuSai Month

_You’re just a stone’s throw for me_

_But throwing stones could never be_

_The perfect way to start_

_Cuz sticks and stones make broken bones_

_And empty words make broken homes_

_But it’s love that broke our hearts…_

Readjusting to a normal lifestyle hadn’t been has difficult as Lea expected. He thought it would be uncomfortable. That nothing would make sense anymore. That hasn’t been the case, though. Hell, the biggest change has been getting used to not having access to dark corridors. Not being able to travel anywhere at any time. Lea misses the convenience of it sometimes, but he knows it’s a good thing. It had been a necessary sacrifice. An easy sacrifice.

Moving to Twilight Town from Radiant Garden had also been easy. He thought once he got to Radiant Garden he wouldn’t want to leave, but being there again, especially in the Lab… The memory of when he lost his heart made it a much easier choice. The memory of watching—

“Good Afternoon,” a voice says, breaking him from his thoughts. He nearly jumps out of his chair as he turns to see Isa joining him at the table he’s sitting at. “My apologies.” He smiles softly. “Did I interrupt something?”

Lea returns the smile. “Not at all.” Isa isn’t living in Twilight Town, but the two of them have made a habit of meeting at the bistro for lunch once a week. The highlight of Lea’s week. “How are you?”

“I’m well. And yourself?”

“Not bad, not bad.” He pauses as Isa shifts in his seat. “How are things over at the Lab? Everyone getting fresh at least once a day?”

He chuckles. “Yes, of course.” He shifts again. “Anything new on your end? How are the kids? Still searching their memories?”

Now he lets out a little sigh. “Yeah, they are. And I mean…I get that we could get crucial information out of it, but there’s no guarantee and it’s obvious that they’re exhausted. I’m not sure how well either of them is sleeping, but I do know this is getting to a point where it’s just…unhealthy.”

“Let Riku know, then. I’m sure he’ll understand if they need a break. He won’t want them to overexert themselves, either.”

“I guess…”

Lea takes a deep breath before his gaze lands on Isa, who is know observing the menu. He tilts his head with a smile. Isa has had an easier time readjusting than he thought he would, too. He’s relieved by that. He was so afraid that Isa would just… That he wouldn’t find his way back. That he wouldn’t remember who he had been before the Organisation. Then again, even Lea will admit that Isa isn’t exactly the same. But neither is Lea. After all, the Organisation changed them in ways they probably couldn’t imagine had they not experienced it themselves.

“What’s on your mind?” Isa then asks.

He can’t help the little grin. “How far we’ve come.” There’s more. So much more. But Lea doesn’t know where to begin. Doesn’t know how to begin. “Also, how _hungry_ I am.” He picks up his own menu. “You have any idea what you’re getting today?”

“I might go with my usual.”

“Tch. C’mon, that’s boring.”

There’s nothing boring about Lea and Isa’s usual routine. And Lea wouldn’t give it up for the world. Just like he wouldn’t give up these lunches. He wouldn’t give up being able to watch him like this while he does something as mundane as looking over a menu. Lea finds himself smiling again. Yeah, he wouldn’t give it up…

If only he could have more.

_If I knew what you were thinking_

_I would stop this boat from sinking_

_But, darling, you are like the sand_

_And you’re slipping through my hands_

_I just don’t know what you’re thinking…_

Watching the sunset at the clock tower will never get old. Every once in a while, though, Lea needs a different view. And at those times, he turns to Destiny Islands. To the beach. He sits at the end of the dock, his feet bared and skimming the cool ocean water. He leans back on his hands, head tilted up. He’s not even paying attention to the sunset. He can’t. He’s too busy thinking about Isa. Wishing he could be with him. Or that Isa could be here instead.

Since the end of the war and Isa’s return, their friendship picked up and took off like the events of the Organisation had never happened. It’s not like they ignore those ten years, though. They talk about what they went through often enough, but they haven’t left it affect them. Well, not in a bad way, at least, because it has affected Lea. In a way he never imagined.

He shakes his head, chuckling to himself as he sits forward. He rests his elbows on his knees and gazes at the water. He splashes at it a bit with his feet, disrupting his darkening reflection. The sun his already disappeared beyond the horizon, but there’s still a little bit of light from the day leftover. Light… Like Isa’s eyes…

He lay back on the dock, spreading his arms out. Lea isn’t sure if he should be thinking this way, but he can’t help it. He also can’t help wondering if Isa thinks about him in the same way. Tch. Another chuckle. He doubts that’s the case.

He rolls over, sliding off the dock and into the sand. It’s soft and still warm from basking in the sun all day. He picks up a handful and watches as it seeps between his fingers. He repeats this action a few more times before looking out towards the horizon. It’s almost completely dark now; he should get back to Twilight Town. It won’t be long before Roxas or Xion reach out to him. Hmm.

Taking a deep breath, he gets back to his feet. He recovers his shoes and looks out to the horizon one last time. Tomorrow is a new day. And, much like the sand, Lea will shift and settle into place. His place. Wherever he belongs.

_You’re just a photo in a drawer_

_But photographs are not much more_

_Than ghosts we can’t forget_

_You’re just a red rag to a bull_

_You’re just a false hope for a fool_

_But it’s as close as I can get…_

Isa awakes with a start, breathing heavy. He sits up as he tries to catch his breath and puts his hand to his chest. He can feel his heart pounding. He can feel his heart. It’s still such a strange sensation to him. It calms him down, though. Alleviates the—Right. The nightmare. The reason why he’s awake.

He looks to his bedside table. His phone is sitting right there. He knows he could call Lea, despite the time. He knows Lea would pick up in a heartbeat. He won’t do that, though. Lea likes to talk about how the kids aren’t sleeping all that well, but Isa can tell that Lea hasn’t been sleeping great, either. So, he won’t wake him. Doesn’t want to be the reason he isn’t sleeping.

Instead, Isa reaches into the top drawer of his bedside table. From it, he pulls out a single photograph. He smiles softly. Lea had taken this picture the very first day the two of them had finally taken off those black coats. The day they tried on their new outfits. The day everything changed. The day Isa knew he would never look back.

He’s not sure how long he looks at the picture for, but when he wakes up next, it’s still in his hand. He smiles again before returning it to the drawer. He then slips out of bed and gets ready for the day ahead of him. It starts with stopping by the Lab and chatting with Ienzo and Even. Checking up on Kairi for Lea. From there, he heads into town. And it’s not long before he finds himself at his favourite little café. Once he orders, he takes a seat in his usual corner booth and lets himself enjoy the quiet.

“Is this seat taken?” someone soon asks. Before Isa can look up all the way, Lea is already sitting in the booth across from him. The redhead then grins once their eyes meet. “Fancy meeting you here.”

Isa can’t stop himself from smiling in response. “What are you doing here?”

“Figured I’d shake things up a bit and visit you here,” he says. “Ienzo told me this is your favourite place and that I’d have the best luck finding you here.”

“Did something happen?”

“What do you mean? I can’t see you just because?”

“N-no, that’s not what I meant.” He chuckles nervously. Lea always causes Isa’s thoughts to get all jumbled up. Always causes his heart to race. “You just don’t come to Radiant Garden often anymore. Not unless you have to.”

“I think you’re a good enough reason.”

He holds back a blush. _Like my reason for visiting Twilight Town_. He’d say it out loud if he could, but it’s moments like this that he loses his voice; he can’t remember how to speak. So, he doesn’t say anything. Then Lea excuses himself before heading over to the counter to order a drink of his own. Isa watches him as he interacts with the barista. Observes his form and his body language. He lets out a soft sigh. As flattering as Lea made the black coat on himself, he still looks so much better in his new outfit.

Isa swallows hard as he _does_ blush at that thought. A thought he shouldn’t be having. He shouldn’t be thinking of Lea like—

“What’s on your mind?” Lea asks as he sits back down at the booth.

Damn it. He’s no good with thinking fast. Thinking of his feet. “How much of a flirt you are,” he settles on.

He laughs. “Oh, c’mon, I was _not_ flirting.”

Of course not. “The barista seemed to think so.”

He laughs more, quirking an eyebrow. “Your jealousy is showing.”

Isa chuckles under his breath, as well. That’s hardly the case. Except he couldn’t possibly tell Lea what’s really on his mind. He won’t risk ruining this routine. It’s already too good to be true. So, he’s not entirely sure how it could get any better. Tch. That’s not true either, though.

He can think of one thing that would make it so much better.

_If I knew what you were thinking_

_I would stop this boat from sinking_

_But, darling, you are like the sun_

_Setting when my evening comes_

_I just don’t know what you’re thinking…_

The sunset in Radiant Garden is nothing compared to Twilight Town’s. No competition. Although, that doesn’t keep Isa from sitting and watching it. It would be enjoyable with company, but—Well, that’s not necessarily an option right now. But that’s okay. Just like this sunset is… _okay_. Nothing more, nothing less. Nothing special. Then again, Isa has a feeling it’s not so much the sunset that’s grown so special to him. No. It’s more like the redhead.

There he goes again with those intrusive thoughts. Except they can’t be intrusive when they’re welcome. His thoughts about Lea are, of course, much more pleasant than most of his other thoughts. His reminiscences. Isa tries his hardest not to spend too much time thinking about the Organisation, but sometimes he just can’t help it. He can’t help but wonder why he came back. How he earned this second chance. And it’s thoughts like these that tend to lead him down a dark path, but then thoughts of Lea always bring him back. To reality. To the light.

Light… The sunset’s light is beginning to dim. The colours aren’t nearly as vibrant here as they are in Twilight Town. Not nearly as red. Hmm… He closes his eyes, smiling softly. Smiles at these so-called _intrusive_ thoughts. He wonders if Lea has similar thoughts. Tch. Who is he kidding? Of course he doesn’t. That’s okay, though. Isa can live with that. So long as Lea remains in his life, he doesn’t really care how he’s a part of it. He just needs the redhead to be there.

After everything they’ve been through—suffered through—Isa is more than grateful to still have Lea as a friend. To still have a place in his life. And the fact that they had been able to practically just pick up where they had left off ten years ago… It’s a miracle, really. And their friendship may not be exactly the same as before, but that’s to be expected. Hell, Isa would even dare to say that it’s _better_.

Of course, it could be better still, but that’s a whole other story. Or maybe it could just be a new chapter to the same story. Yeah. One chapter closes with the sunset. Another begins with the sunrise. A new beginning for a new day.

_And I would stop the sky from falling_

_If I knew, if I knew…_

Lea can see the exhaustion behind Isa’s eyes every time they meet up. He knows its due to the bad dreams. Nightmares that Isa refuses to elaborate on. Lea always wants to ask about them, but he also wants to respect Isa’s privacy. And he definitely doesn’t want to overstep any boundaries. So, he limits himself to telling Isa that he can call him. Whether it’s four o’clock in the afternoon or four o’clock in the morning. Lea’s phone is always on for Isa. For his best friend. For—

He wonders if the dreams have anything to do with him. If Isa ever imagines something terrible happening to him. If that’s part of why he prefers not to talk with Lea about them. Hmm… He’s not sure why it bothers him so much; Lea just wishes Isa would talk to him. If he knew about the premise of the nightmares, then maybe he could alleviate them. Stop them. Hell, Lea would do anything to help him. Anything for him.

_And I would love you every morning_

_If I knew, if I knew…_

Isa finds the way Lea talks about the kids endearing. The way he worries about them. At the same time, though, Isa can’t help but worry about Lea in return. He knows he has just as many restless nights, which is part of why Isa never reaches out to him when he’s been woken from a nightmare. He doesn’t want to risk waking Lea if he’s finally sleeping for once. So, he deals with the bad dreams on his own. Lea has enough on his plate already. The last thing Isa wants is to be a burden.

Of course, he knows Lea wouldn’t see it that way. Wouldn’t feel that way. But that still doesn’t change how Isa feels. And Isa feels—Well—Hmm. Isa thinks he knows how he feels, but it’s difficult to explain. Difficult to comprehend. Lea is supposed to be his best friend, after all. He is his best friend. Yet, all of a sudden, that doesn’t seem to be enough. All of a sudden, he wants more.

_If I knew what you were thinking_

_I would stop this boat from sinking_

_But, darling, you are like the stars_

_I know I can’t reach that far_

_I just don’t know what you’re thinking_

They’re sitting atop the clock tower, watching the sunset together. Lea keeps stealing little glances over at Isa, unaware of the fact that Isa is stealing just as many longing looks. The silence is comfortable, yet there’s something _unbearable_ about it at the same time. There’s something implicit about the atmosphere. It’s accentuating all the words left unsaid. As if the fading colours in the sky are painting out their thoughts. As if the stars beginning to peak and shine can read them like open books.

“What’s on your mind?” they soon ask in near unison before laughing at the absurdity of speaking the same question at the same time.

That alone is almost enough of an answer. It proves they were each thinking of the other. And that’s also enough to trigger a reaction out of them both. Since his return, Lea’s never been shy about expressing his feelings. Isa, on the other hand, has remained reserved, for the most part. In this moment, though, they’re both ready to talk. To confess.

They’re ready to speak exactly what’s on their minds.


End file.
